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Former UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya Seeks Future Khamzat Chimaev Fight

Former UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya wants to fight Khamzat Chimaev before it's all said and done.

Zain Bando

Jasmin Frank-Imagn Images

Israel Adesanya is scheduled to headline a Feb. 1 UFC Fight Night event against Nassourdine Imavov, but there is another fight that intrigues him after all.

Adesanya Proposes Khamzat Chimaev Fight

In a recently uploaded YouTube video on his channel, Adesanya said Khamzat Chimaev, fresh off a dominant win against former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker, was impressive enough to entertain a possible fight against him soon.

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"I was surprised the way Khamzat ran through Rob," Adesanya said. That was crazy. That made me want to fight him."

Former UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya Seeks Future Khamzat Chimaev Fight
Chimaev submitted Whittaker in the first round at UFC 308. / (Zuffa LLC)

Luckily for Chimaev, he might get Adesanya's wish. He is without an opponent after the UFC opted to have Dricus Du Plessis rematch Sean Strickland in the main event of UFC 312. This fight would likely clear up the middleweight division for fresh challengers, making a fight between the former champion and Chimaev possible for No. 1 contender status.

At press time, the UFC has yet to inquire about Adesanya's comments, given that "The Last Stylebender" already has an upcoming opponent. Nonetheless, it keeps the division interesting during 2025, which will see fresh faces, including Imavov, in the mix for a title shot.

Former UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya Seeks Future Khamzat Chimaev Fight
Sep 9, 2023; Sydney, NSW, AUSTRALIA; Israel Adesanya (red gloves) fights Sean Strickland (blue gloves) during UFC 293 at Qudos Bank Arena. / Jasmin Frank-Imagn Images

Adesanya is one of the UFC's greatest champions, past or present. He holds two wins against Whittaker, while having also defeated the likes of Paulo Costa, Marvin Vettori, Derek Brunson, Yoel Romero, and more.

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Adesanya is attempting to rebound following back-to-back title fight losses to then-champion Strickland and, most recently in August, Du Plessis. Both were a year removed from each other, as Adesanya contemplated taking an extended hiatus from the sport altogether.

Nonetheless, it remains to be seen what Adesanya decides to do next. Regardless, given his status as a fan favorite, he is likely to draw eyeballs given his persona, trash talk, and confidence as one of the sport's best fighters.

For now, only time will tell.

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Zain Bando
ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer for MMA Knockout, part of the Sports Illustrated/Minute Media umbrella. He has covered combat sports since 2019 for notable outlets BJPenn.com and FanSided MMA. He also co-hosts a podcast called "The MMA Outsiders," part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network, which airs Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. A Chicago suburban native, Bando has been enthralled with MMA since 2006 and has been fortunate to attend some of the most high-profile events in the sport's history, both as a fan and media member, including UFC 264, Bellator 297 and Kayla Harrison's PFL MMA debut. He is excited to take the next step in his combat sports writing journey and looks forward to continuing his following of the fight game for years to come. Bando can be reached via email at zainbando99@gmail.com or by social media @zainbando99

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